Storage lift

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a storage lift comprising two shelving columns that support storage goods carriers ( 5 ). A vertical conveyer is located between said columns and at least one of the latter has a loading and removal opening. A light grille ( 9,10 ) and faceplates ( 11 ) are used to determine or verify the position of the storage goods carriers ( 5 ) in thc vicinity of the loading and removal opening ( 8 ). At least one respective faceplate is allocated to a respective storage goods carrier ( 5 ).

[0001] The invention relates to a storage lift comprising two shelvingcolumns that are used to support storage goods carriers and are eachprovided with a large number of pairs of supporting profiles for storagegoods carriers that are arranged one above another and at a distancefrom one another, of which columns at least one has a loading andremoval opening equipped with a grid of lights for detecting the heightof the storage goods, and also comprising a vertical conveyor which canbe moved up and down in a shaft between the shelving columns and whichis equipped with a horizontal conveyor device which has drivers by meansof which the storage goods carriers can be transferred onto the verticalconveyor or removed from it.

[0002] In known storage lifts, the height of the storage goods arrangedon the storage goods carriers is measured with the aid of the grid oflights—as described in DE 42 33 688 A1 and DE 195 01 718 A1, forexample—in order to deposit the respective storage goods carriers atfree storage spaces whose height most closely approaches the storagegoods height, with the effect of optimal utilization of the stowagespace available.

[0003] The invention is based on the object, in a storage lift of thetype under consideration, with the aid of the grid of lights,specifically preferably the grid of lights used for the heightmeasurement, to determine or to check the position of the storage goodscarrier in the loading and removal opening. According to the invention,this object is achieved in that each storage goods carrier is providedwith at least one faceplate through which in each case at least onelight beam from the grid of lights can pass and by means of which atleast one light beam from the grid of lights is masked out when therespective storage goods carrier assumes a predefined position in theloading and removal opening.

[0004] The storage lift according to the invention has the advantagethat special sensors for checking the correct position of the storagegoods carrier in the loading and removal opening are renderedsuperfluous, such a change is imperative, as is known, in order toensure perfect transfer of the storage goods carrier from the loadingand removal opening to the vertical conveyor.

[0005] Further features and details of the invention emerge from thesubclaims and the following description of a particularly advantageousembodiment of the invention illustrated in the appended drawings, inwhich:

[0006]FIG. 1 shows the perspective view of a storage lift;

[0007]FIG. 2 shows a view corresponding to FIG. 1 of the storage liftafter the removal of housing parts;

[0008]FIG. 3 shows a perspective partial view of the loading and removalopening of the storage lift according to FIG. 1, viewed from the insideof the storage lift;

[0009]FIG. 4 shows a detail IV of the partial view according to FIG. 3on an enlarged scale and

[0010]FIG. 5 shows a section along the line V-V in FIG. 3.

[0011] The storage lift shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has, in a known way, twoshelving columns 1 and 2 which delimit a shaft 3 in which a verticalconveyor 4 equipped with a horizontal conveyor device can be moved upand down in order to transfer storage goods carriers 5 to differentspaces in the shelving columns 1 and 2. The individual storage spacesare in this case formed by supporting profiles 6 which are arranged oneabove another in pairs and at a distance from one another and which areused to support supporting webs 7 on opposite sides of the storage goodscarriers 5. In a departure from known storage lifts—as can be seen fromFIG. 1—in the storage lift shown, supporting profiles 6 are alsoprovided in the region of the loading and removal opening of the storagelift and permit storage goods carriers 5 to be inserted in differentvertical positions of the loading and removal opening 8. The respectiveoperator consequently has the possibility of moving the storage goodscarriers 5 to a position in the storage lift which is ergonomicallyoptimal for him in each case.

[0012] Arranged in the region of the rear end of the loading and removalopening 8 is a grid of lights 9, 10 which can be used for measuring theheight of the storage goods respectively located on the storage goodscarriers and which, furthermore, also fulfills an additional function,in that it serves to identify and check the position of the storagegoods carrier 5 respectively introduced into the loading and removalopening, both its vertical position and its horizontal position beingregistered.

[0013] The determination of position is carried out with the aid offaceplates assigned to the storage goods carriers 5. In the particularlyadvantageous solution illustrated in the drawings, faceplates 11 areprovided in the region of grip strips 12 and 13 at the opposite ends ofthe storage goods carriers 5. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the respectivefaceplate 11 is formed by a side wall 15 of the respective grip strip12, provided with a window 14. The dimensions of the side wall 15 andthe window 14 are in this case matched to the pitch t of the lightbarriers 16 of the grid of lights 9, 10, in such a way that in each caseone light beam passes through the faceplate and one light beam isinterrupted, that is to say masked out, by the faceplate. While thelight beam which passes through is used for determining the position ofthe respective storage goods carrier 5, the interrupted light beam isused to inform a control system that a storage goods carrier 5 islocated in the region of the loading and removal opening. The pitch totherwise corresponds to half the distance A between the respectivesuccessive supporting profiles 6.

1. A storage lift comprising two shelving columns that are used tosupport storage goods carriers and are each provided with a large numberof pairs of supporting profiles for storage goods carriers that arearranged one above another and at a distance from one another, of whichcolumns at least one has a loading and removal opening equipped with agrid of lights for detecting the height of the storage goods, and alsocomprising a vertical conveyor which can be moved up and down in a shaftbetween the shelving columns and which is equipped with a horizontalconveyor device which has drivers by means of which the storage goodscarrier can be transferred onto the vertical conveyor or removed fromit, characterized in that each storage goods carrier (5) is providedwith at least one faceplate (11) through which in each case at least onelight beam from the grid of lights (9, 10) can pass and by means ofwhich at least one light beam from, the grid of lights (9, 10) is maskedout when the respective storage goods carrier (5) assumes a predefinedposition in the loading and removal opening (8).
 2. The storage lift asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that a faceplate (11) is located inthe region of at least one of the two ends of the storage goods carrier(5).
 3. The storage lift as claimed in claim 2, characterized in thatthe faceplate (11) is formed by at least one side wall (15) of a gripstrip (12).
 4. The storage lift as claimed in claim 3, characterized inthat both side walls (15) of the grip strip (12) are formed asfaceplates (11) with aligning windows (14).
 5. A storage lift accordingto the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the side walls of theloading and removal opening (8) are provided with supporting profiles(6) which can be used for storing storage goods carriers (5) atdifferent heights and are arranged one above another and at a distancefrom one another.
 6. The storage lift as claimed in claim 5,characterized in that the distance (A) between the supporting profiles(6) extending over the entire height of the loading and removal opening(8) is equal to the distance (A) between the supporting profiles (6) ofthe shelving columns (1, 2).
 7. The storage lift as claimed in claim 5or 6 and one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the grid of lights(9, 10) can be used for identifying the horizontal and vertical positionof the storage goods carriers (5) in the loading and removal opening(8).
 8. The storage lift as claimed in one of claims 5 to 7,characterized in that the distances (A) between the supporting profiles(6) of the shelving columns (1, 2) and the supporting profiles (6) ofthe loading and removal opening (8) are equal to the pitch (t) of thelight barriers of the grid of lights (9, 10).
 9. The storage lift asclaimed in one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the distances (A)between the supporting profiles (6) of the shelving columns (1, 2) andthe supporting profiles (6) of the loading and removal opening (8)correspond to a multiple of the pitch (t) of the light barriers of thegrid of lights (9, 10).